The Halifax Convention Centre Corp., today Feb. 28, announced that Big Erics Inc. will be its official smallwares supplier for items such as glassware, flatware, tableware, serving dishes and culinary preparation equipment.

The announcement marks another significant partnership and operational milestone in preparation for opening the new centre.

"A modernization of smallwares is required to reflect the volume of business and evolving guest experience for our new facility," said Carrie Cussons, president and CEO, Halifax Convention Centre Corp. "We're thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Big Erics Inc. to ensure we deliver a culinary experience that meets the highest standards."

Big Erics Inc., of Halifax, was selected following a competitive procurement process. Submissions were evaluated using a series of criteria, including product offerings, supplier experience and pricing.

"We want to be our customers' trusted partner," said Norm Mensour, CEO of Big Erics Inc. "We listened to the convention centre team and applied our 50 plus years of experience to offer the right solutions.

"We're excited for the opportunity to provide quality smallwares from the world's top manufacturers to help meet their evolving business needs."

An evaluation team of Halifax Convention Centre staff in the areas of food and beverage, event operations, technical services and finance made the selection. With an extensive list of close to 350 smallwares required, Big Erics Inc. demonstrated it is a seasoned partner with long-term ties in the industry to competitively secure and deliver on all preferred items. The value of the contract is about $2.25 million for all items required, which will be purchased throughout the next year.

A portion of the new smallwares will be put in service at the current World Trade and Convention Centre as part of testing and training. Big Erics Inc. has also committed to repurchase existing smallwares being replaced, costing up to $30,000. The remaining surplus items will be returned to the province.

The Halifax Convention Centre is part of the Nova Centre, a one-million square-foot, mixed-used development including a hotel, financial tower and retail space. It is the largest integrated development project in the province's history. The funding of the convention centre is shared between three levels of government, totalling $169.2 million.